Lets Collect Rocks and Shells | Page 3

draw breath. You'll find others--there are literally thousands more!
You've got to be a detective. These little animals are the natural food
for many of the larger undersea creatures, so one of their greatest
talents is hiding. Approaching danger, whether from octopus, fish or
man, arouses caution in a small mollusk and it becomes as
inconspicuous as it can. This can be pretty inconspicuous, as the novice
conchologist learns early in his search.
REMEMBER - by all means, don't be a landlubber. Get into the water.
No matter whether you go shelling up North, down South, in the West
or in the Tropics, you won't get any satisfaction (or value) from
collecting dead shells washed up on a beach. To build a good collection,
you should take your mollusks alive, then clean and prepare them
yourself. (More about that later.) You won't find live ones unless you
go where they live.
[figure captions]
CONUS SPURIUS "ALPHABET CONE"
CYRTOPLEURA COSTATA "ANGEL WING"
TEREBRADISLOCATA "ATLANTIC AUGER"
MUREX DILECTUS "LACE MUREX"
EPITONIUM HUMPHREYSI "HUMPHREY'S WENTLETRAP"
LYROPECTEN NODOSUS "LION'S PAW"
FASCIOLARIA DISTANS "BANDED TULIP"
DIODORA CAYENENSIS "KEYHOLE LIMPET"
ANATINA PLICATELLA "CHANNELED DUCK"

WHERE TO LOOK*

Many shells are endowed with perfect camouflage. The colorful
seafans off Florida are hiding places for the SIMNIA whose long
purple or yellow shells, clinging to sea fans and matching perfectly in

color, are nearly indiscernible. Other shells create disguises as they go
along. In Florida waters, a pile of dead and broken shells may be worth
investigation: XENOPHORA CONCHYLIOPHORA ("carrier shell")
might be under it; it cements the old, discarded shells to its own.
Northern tide pools accommodate many kinds of LITTORINA
("periwinkles"). These pretty little shells, in shades from yellow to
brown, are well concealed among the dimly-lit seaweed. Along any
rocky shore, limpets grow as wide as two inches but remain hard to
find. Their turtleback shells, covered with moss, look just like rocks,
and they stick so tightly to the big stones that--even when they are
seen--they can scarcely be pried loose.
Abundant on wave-washed beaches of both the North and the South are
dead shells of another perfectly camouflaged clam called ARCA. While
alive, the shells are covered with hairy, brown or black epidermis and
look like pebbles among tufts of seaweed and marine grass.
On the West Coast, the abalone is a most typical species in addition to
being a delicious food. The bright-hued shell is widely used for
souvenirs such as ash trays and is in demand for buttons and decorative
purposes.
Most shells of interest to the collector are found in the sea-- but not all.
Living forest mollusks have been found 18,000 feet high in the
Himalayas. And in this country a great variety of mollusks live in rivers,
ponds, and even hot springs. Several species are peculiar to the Nile
River. Also, species of mollusks live on land--for example the common
garden snail.
Wherever you go, be it the South Seas, a mountain lake, or the shoals
off the Gulf Coast, you'll find shells to collect and opportunities to
expand your hobby.
*Collectors should familiarize themselves with local regulations. In
some areas, such as parks and marine sanctuaries, collection of shells
and other marine organisms may be restricted or prohibited.

STARTING A COLLECTION. . .HERE'S HOW

Knowing WHERE to look for shells you probably wonder WHEN is
the best time. The answer is ANYTIME. Mollusks know no season.
Some species appear suddenly for several days and then vanish; others

can be found almost anytime. Most mollusks appear at night, but others
work only in the daytime and go out of sight after dark. The tides may
have something to do with it. So does the weather-- it can be hot or
cold, dry or rainy. While you won't find the same shell at all times,
you'll find a great variety at any time.
What to take? The things pictured on page 8 should be enough. If
you're going out on the coral reefs along Florida, it would be wise to
keep your legs covered as protection against stings or scratches. Don't
ever forget to wear some kind of shoes in the water. Even though you're
wearing a mask or goggles, take along a gig or some slender stick and
feel your way along so you don't fall into a hole you can't see in the
deceptive near-tropical waters. If, despite precautions, you get a sea
urchin's needlelike spine broken off in your skin, soak the wound in
vinegar which will dissolve the fragments and stop the pain in a few
minutes.
Tiny shells buried in sand can be netted in your sieve. Clinging ones
must be chiseled off rocks. Frail, delicate clingers should be gently
nudged loose with tweezers. Submerged sandbars are good spots to
find several